


Indigo Dress

by PhoenixWytch



Series: Over the Rainbow [6]
Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Colours of the Rainbow: Indigo, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-25
Updated: 2009-08-25
Packaged: 2017-10-30 05:44:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/328379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixWytch/pseuds/PhoenixWytch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes what you leave behind comes back in surprising ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Indigo Dress

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Mentalist_ or any of the characters from _The Mentalist_. If I did own them, Jane would be living with Lisbon and they would be kissing in every episode.

He never expected to see her again after he left the CBI two years ago, but here she is and he's shocked to say the least. She's dressed in a tiny painted on indigo dress that goes quite nicely with her eyes, but the main thing that surprises him is that she's passing herself off as a hooker on the street corner. He wants to approach, but doesn't know how that will effect whatever operation she's currently working on.

The choice is taken away from him though. She's spotted him and is approaching while he looks around for an escape. Her walk doesn't hesitate, but for one brief moment when she realizes just who he is and that he's not just some random John to be picked up. Her lips curve up in a sultry little smile when she gets within a few feet of him, an unspoken command for him to play along in her eyes.

"Hey handsome, you looking for a good time? I got a place where you could have one."

"Um. I-"

"Come on, you look like you could use some fun," she cuts him off, reaching out to run her fingers down his cheek.

He's unsure why she's so intent on him joining her, "I guess."

"Good thinking. Lemme show you the place."

Taking his hand, she drags him behind her to the rundown motel two blocks from the corner she’s been hanging out on. Her mind and heart racing from being so near him again after so long. She wants him back on the team, with her. She also wants to know why he left with no word for the last two years. She wonders if he ever thinks about them, about her.

Pulling him into the room that the operation is being conducted out of, they are greeted by the rest of the team. Cho nods to him before asking her if there was a problem. Rigsby glares at him, before turning and focusing back on the surveillance footage that's being taped. He just stands quietly inside the door, watching his former colleagues work and realizing that he might have made a mistake in leaving the CBI. The only one that's missing is Van Pelt, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. He doesn't really want to see yet another person glaring at him like Rigsby had just done.

She finishes talking with Cho before turning back to him and just looking him over. He's thinner now, his suit more worn and she can't help but be worried about him even after all this time. Her eyes meet his and she gives him a small smile as she motions for him to sit down on the bed, as it's the only place left to sit.

"It's good to see you again Jane."

"It's good to see you too. Still the team lead I see. I figured you'd have been promoted after... Well you know."

"No. Well yes, but I turned it down."

He nods like he understands, but he doesn't. Not really. She deserved to be promoted, so why did she turn it down? He looks her over, her dress having distracted him when he first spotted her. She doesn't seem to have changed much. Her hair is shorter and her hand is bare of the ring that taunted him when he left, though that doesn't mean much since she's undercover.

"What have you been doing with yourself since you left?"

"Nothing much. This and that."

"Oh. Helping other agencies?"

"No. What about you? When I left you were engaged."

"About the same as before. The wedding never happened and was never going to happen. You left before all the information came out. He is now sitting in prison."

"Oh."

"So-"

Cho cuts her off as he announces that their suspect was coming into view. She quickly jumps into action and hurries out the door to see if she can finally nab the perp. Cho stops Jane from following her, the look in his eyes conveying that there is to be a serious talk between the two of them before Cho would allow Jane to spend much more time with Lisbon. Jane tips his head in understanding and sits back down on the bed.

Cho and Rigsby monitor Lisbon, as she is able to convince the scruffy looking man that they're after to join her in her hotel room for a little action. Jane watches as well, his hands curled into fists with his nails biting into his palms. He can't help but want to be out there with her or better yet her not being out there at all. She's not his, never has been his, but he has wanted her for years now and can't help but feel jealous that she's putting her attentions on someone else.

After several minutes, Cho and Rigsby hurry out of the room to help Lisbon arrest their suspect. Jane moves closer to the surveillance monitors to watch. The suspect fights, knocking Lisbon down and tearing her indigo dress. Jane's eyes widen as even more of her skin is exposed to the world and she thinks nothing of it as she dives back into the trying to subdue the man. As soon as the cuffs click around his wrists, Lisbon backs away and lets her boys handle it the rest of the way.

Heading back into the operation surveillance room to see to Jane, Lisbon winces slightly as she realizes exactly how much of her is now showing. She was already feeling off balance from seeing Jane again, but for him to see her like this was just asking for trouble. Trying to figure out what she could use to cover herself once in the room, she's slightly startled when a jacket is draped over her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" his concern evident in his voice, Jane makes sure to look only at her face rather than allowing his eyes to peruse her body.

Smiling slightly, Lisbon replies, "I'm good, though I think this dress is finished."

"I'd have to agree."

Shifting nervously, something he rarely does, Jane turns and sees Cho approaching them. He knows that the Asian man is not happy in him for his past actions or the fact that he is so close to Lisbon. He also knows that he will have to explain himself fully for the man to even possibly trust him again. He looks back at Lisbon, to find that she's moved away from him into the hotel room and is pulling a set of clothes from a black duffel bag that was in the corner.

Cho arrives next to Jane and takes hold of his elbow, pulling him away from the hotel room and the woman inside. Jane is very nervous about what all Cho might want to say or do to him, but he knows that as far as Cho is concerned he messed up majorly. Cho is torn; on one hand he wants to welcome the curly haired man back with no hard feelings, but on the other he's seen the fall out of the man's leaving had on his boss and friend even if she did bring it on herself. Letting go of Jane, Cho turns to the man that he still considers a friend.

"I aught to punch you for showing back up, but I can tell you didn't expect to run into us. You really hurt her by leaving. I'm not saying you are to blame, at least not totally, but she cared for you and you left her. I understand why you left; she was _engaged_ to someone else and pushing you away, the rest of us as well just not as much, but she had a reason for doing so."

"I-"

"Jane, let me finish. When we found out about the undercover operation, we were all disappointed in her. I cornered her and told her off for the hell she put us all through, but especially what she put you through. I know you cared for her, I can tell you still do. I know she hurt you and you ran, but man you left us all.

I can tell you that Van Pelt missed you greatly, she thought of you as an older brother. I know Rigsby missed you, though he did appreciate the fact that the comments about him and Van Pelt dropped off quite a bit. He blamed himself for you leaving for a while, something about him yelling at you over something. I know I missed you as well. You were one of my best friends. The annoying one that everyone wants to punch but who also livens up most every situation.

If you're just planning to take off again, just say bye to her and leave. Don't get us believing that you'll be around and than leave us again. You do that; I will hunt you down, kill you and hide the body where no one will ever find it. I won't watch Lisbon or the others fall apart again. Understand?"

"If I'd known she was just undercover, I wouldn't have left in the first place. I would have stayed. I can also promise that so long as she never does what she did again, I will stick with you guys until the end. I missed the team, but I couldn't- She had my heart. She knew what I felt for her and she still... She just about destroyed me with her actions.

I know you all used to worry about me with Red John, you and Lisbon especially. You both confronted me about it often enough. But her- No one seemed willing to confront her about what she was doing and how she was destroying someone. No one. Finding out that you did after I left and after you learned of the operation isn't good enough. I needed you to fight for me against her, like you fought for her against me."

Cho keeps his eyes trained on Jane, listening to all that Jane is saying. He knows that Jane has brought up a good point. The entire team fought him over his obsession with Red John and how it was going to destroy him and everyone around him. They fought mostly to protect the boss lady, but also because they hated seeing someone with such a good heart and that was a good friend destroying himself. They fought to protect one teammate from another in that situation, but when the roles were reversed they just watched as said teammate was slowly being destroyed.

Jane watches Cho, knowing that this conversation would be the deciding factor on if Jane would be allowed to stay or forced to leave. At least Cho is listening, even if he did want to punch Jane. Rigsby would have hit him first and still not listened after beating him. Van Pelt can hold a grudge, though she hides that fact fairly well, and would have laid into him for hurting Lisbon. As for Lisbon, well there is a lot of explaining to do by both of them for things to start to come close to healing between them.

"You're right. We fought against you for her, but not her for you. I don’t know why we didn't, but we should have. You might have been annoying at times, but you were part of the team and we should have fought for you like we would anyone else on the team."

Jane smiles, not a bright beaming smile like Cho remembers, but a smile nonetheless. There are a lot of hard feelings on all sides, but they know that they can fix their friendship. Cho gives Jane a small smile and pats Jane on the shoulder, welcoming him back to the team and as a friend. Jane's smile widens and he knows that though he might not have Lisbon, he still has a friend in Cho.

By this time, Rigsby has joined Lisbon in the hotel room in gathering up their equipment. Rigsby is confused; he wants to hurt Jane for hurting Lisbon by leaving, but he understands that Lisbon drove Jane away and that Lisbon's actions hurt Jane greatly. He's talked about all of this confusion he feels concerning, as he's termed it 'Jane & Lisbon are both stubborn fools' problem, several times with Grace. She has placed most of the blame on Jane, but always says that they need to stay out of it. That Jane and Lisbon have to work it out on their own.

Lisbon notices Rigsby's uncharacteristic silence and looks over at him to find him preoccupied. Reaching over, she taps him lightly on his arm. His head snaps up, his eyes almost immediately training in on her. Barely masked anger, hurt and confusion swirling in the blue depths.

"What's wrong, Rigsby?"

"Nothing. Well, actually something is wrong but I don't know how to explain it."

"You know you _can_ tell me anything, no matter how long it takes you to get it out or explain it. Though I think I can guess on the topic. It's what happened between Jane and I?"

"Boss, you know I like you. You're the best boss I've had, but why did you push Jane away? I know you say it was for the undercover operation, but you could've told Jane about what was going on. He would have understood. I'm pissed at him for hurting you, but you hurt him too. I mean you and he were... It was like-"

"Rigsby. Wayne. I know I screwed up. I should have told all of you what was going on. You guys were, _are_ my team and secrets like I was keeping could very well have completely destroy lesser teams. I know that I need to explain myself to Jane. I know that I hurt him. He might disappear again, but I'm hoping he'll listen and maybe forgive me. If I thought he'd take his job as consultant back, I'd offer it. I ruined our team by pushing him away. Don't be angry with him though. I was the one that was wrong. He left to protect his heart. I was destroying him, knowingly destroying him, and he escaped before I could possibly destroy him completely."

Lisbon looks away from Rigsby, his words stinging newly opened wounds from seeing Jane again. She knows she seriously messed up, that she made a huge mistake by not explaining her actions to Jane. She hurt him badly, just as he was starting to heal. She knew he wanted to be with her, that he gave up on killing Red John for her. That he let her arrest Red John, so he could be with her. Then she went and threw it back in his face with that undercover operation.

Rigsby gives Lisbon a small sad smile and a quick hug. He flushes when he sees that Cho and Jane have walked back to the room and witnessed his attempt at comforting the boss. Cho just stares at him with a faintly amused expression on his face, one that if you didn't know him and aren't Jane you'd miss. Jane grins and raises an eyebrow, almost like he had never left and was about to make one of his teasing remarks.

The four look at each other for a moment, silent understand flowing between them all, before Rigsby's cell rings. Lisbon and Cho both roll their eyes, as Jane looks on in interest as Rigsby answers. Cho and Lisbon go about finishing gathering up the equipment. Jane just stands in the doorway, relishing the feeling of being back with most of the team and listening in on Rigsby's conversation. Which Jane is pretty sure is with Van Pelt based on what is being said by Rigsby and Rigsby's reaction to what the caller is saying to him.

Jane knows that things have changed, some for the good and some for bad. He knows that the relationship between him and Cho, while not as easy as it once was is back on track and they are both willing to work on it. He knows that while Rigsby and Van Pelt might not be thrilled with him, eventually they will be as good as before. The only relationship he's not sure of is the one between him and Lisbon. Will they get over the hurt they inflicted on each other? Maybe, maybe not. He's willing to try and he can tell by her actions tonight that she's willing to try. And maybe, they'll have their happy ending in the future.


End file.
